Reviewer Andrea Coventry:
Andrea is a Montessori child - turned educator. An avid reader
and writer, she is published on several websites. Click
Here to find a listing of Andrea's sites where you can find many of her
writing contributions.

The Butterfly's Treasure by Schim Schimmel is one of the most
beautiful, awe-inspiring books I have ever seen. The vibrant colors
on the cover alone inspire dreams of far-away places. Each turn of
the page reveals another jaw-dropping, inspirational view of some of
the world's most majestic creatures and places. As I read this book
to my class of 3-6 year-olds, I was moved by their exclamations as
they saw each painting

The Butterfly's Treasure by Schim Schimmel is one of the most
beautiful, awe-inspiring books I have ever seen. The vibrant colors
on the cover alone inspire dreams of far-away places. Each turn of
the page reveals another jaw-dropping, inspirational view of some of
the world's most majestic creatures and places. As I read this book
to my class of 3-6 year-olds, I was moved by their exclamations as
they saw each painting.

The story itself is just as inspiring
as the artwork. Young Caterpillar is the last of this season's
monarchs. He meets Old Monarch, who is the last of last season's
monarchs. Old Monarch wishes to impart his wisdom upon the young
caterpillar, and proceeds to tell him of his travels around the world
over the last year to find treasure. Old Monarch encounters some of
the greatest creatures around the world, including brown bears, polar
bears, seals, elephants, lions, gorillas, tigers, snow leopards,
penguins, dolphins, and wolves. He finds them in the most beautiful
locations around the world. Young Caterpillar realizes that the whole
world is a treasure to cherish, and after becoming an adult monarch,
sets off to seek it for himself.

Following the reading of the
story, I went around the circle and asked the children to tell me
what some treasures were. A few mentioned jewels and pirate's gold.
But even at their young ages, most were able to identify that
animals, people, and nature were things to be treasured. This is
testimony that Schim Schimmel's message is easily conveyed to even
the youngest reader.

Schim Schimmel is the artist/author for
three other books that have garnered international attention for
their artistry and message: Dear Children of the Earth -- A
Letter From Home, Children of the Earth...Remember, and The
Family of the Earth. All of these titles are perenniel favorites
in my classroom and those of my colleagues. The Butterfly's
Treasure will earn a place of honor next to them on the shelf.
I'm already eagerly anticipating his next work!